Now that we’re deep into the festive season, it’s impossible to stay on top of all the new holiday movies available to stream. The That Shelf team has done our best to keep you up to speed lately, and now we’re adding writer-director Joe Duca’s debut feature, Evergreen to the list.
Evergreen is being billed as “a narrative feature film that takes a hyper-realistic look behind the veil of a contemporary relationship and reveals how the boundaries and barriers which define our conditional love can be stripped down to reveal deeper truths. A romantic drama touching on such sensitive topics as grief, identity, sex, and religion, the film strives for subjective realism and authenticity.”
This thought-provoking character study, is also a holiday film because it all takes place during a couple’s Christmas weekend getaway. Take a look.
Evergreen trailer:
Evergreen had a strong festival run in 2019 and racked up numerous awards along the way. When writing the film, Duca focused on creating authentic characters and realistic characters, and he mentions Richard Linklater and The Duplass Brothers among Evergreen’s inspirations.
Evergreen synopsis:
Evergreen is the story of an atypical couple: Paul, a conservative Catholic man, and Gena, a progressive, agnostic woman. The two venture to Paul’s family cabin in Colorado for a romantic Christmas getaway. Upon arrival, Paul plans on popping the question, while Gena hopes to physically consummate their relationship (finally). Suffice to say, they have mismatched expectations.
On the couple’s first night away, after a few cocktails, their expectations clash. Paul sticks to his strict religious beliefs, ultimately unable to give Gena what she wants. While nursing a hangover the next morning, Gena proposes a wild challenge: to engage in a high-stakes game of question-and-answer while swearing off all physical contact for the weekend. Paul agrees that they must respond to every question the other asks with complete honesty.
What could possibly go wrong?
Evergreen is currently available to stream on major VOD platforms.
